Hybrid Cars and Plug-in Hybrid Cars

By Colin Jones

Hybrid cars are on everyone's lips these days. $20, $30, $40 or even $50 for a tank of gas? Who in their right mind really wants to pay that sort of money? But, frustrated, the fuel customer sighs, but pays up. However, hybrid vehicles are being applauded for the little amount of gas they need to operate, and they are flying off the forecourts of car dealerships each and everyday in ever increasing numbers.

So, what about a plug-in hybrid? Most consumers have heard that these cars are great as well. Then, someone might be asking him or herself, what exactly a plug-in hybrid is? How they work, and what the difference between a plug-in hybrid and a regular hybrid is?

Plug-in hybrids are able to run just on batteries, but they use fuel also. These sorts of hybrid cars share some of the characteristics of hybrid vehicles. They are also are very similar to electric vehicles.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles need to be recharged externally by connecting a plug to an electrical power source. The combustion engine in plug-in hybrid vehicles is engaged only as a back up. These cars can run only on batteries if desired, but it is expected that these types of hybrid cars are recharged every day.

Hybrid cars travel just as many miles as a conventional car. Designed to go the extra mile where fuel-mileage is concerned, hybrids can be driven on the motorway, in cities, or wherever else a person needs to go.

On the other hand, plug-in hybrids are designed to be driven commuter-length distances, meaning between twenty and sixty miles between destinations. This way, the plug-in hybrid does not have to use its back up combustion engine, but plug-in hybrids can go further using fuel as well.

Hybrids help to minimize pollution, but they still pollute the air. Compared with plug-in hybrids, hybrid cars still have a long way to go where pollution is concerned. Since plug-in hybrid cars can run solely on their battery power, they don't have to emit waste fuel emissions. That means that plug-in hybrids don't need to pollute the air.

Plug-in hybrids actually do combat greenhouse gas emissions and plug-in hybrids use virtually no oil imported or not. Studies have shown that electric hybrids emit at least 67% less greenhouse gases compared with petrol cars. Since the product used to power plug-in hybrids is renewable, the difference in greenhouse gas emissions may be even greater than the study showed.

So there you have it - those are the main differences between plug-in hybrids and regular hybrid cars. It could make a big difference, but you would be surprised at how little it actually matters at the moment, but that's only because plug-in hybrids are not being marketed to consumers yet! But this article should make you excited about the wonderful plug-in hybrid car, coming soon to a forecourt near you.

And it's going to be a spectacular debut too, since people already like the current hybrid car models, but they haven't seen anything yet until they see the new plug-in hybrid cars. However, for now, maybe we should just be happy with what we already have, because who knows? Before plug-in hybrid cars are brought out onto the forecourts, something even better might be introduced onto the market. - 32183

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